(Phys.org)—A team of researches with members from several institutions in the U.S. has found that the long tails sported by the luna moth exist as a means to foil attacks by bats. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team reports on experiments they conducted that confirmed the true purpose of the abnormally long tails in the moths.

Scientists have suggested for years that the extremely long luna moth tails were likely a defense mechanism of some sort, because it did not appear that they served any purpose in attracting a mate. In this new effort, the researchers sought to find the answer once and for all.